The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-12

! ing under great ''press of matter with spi-
nal columns more distressed than the col
umns of the religious weekly.
The speaker was in much bewilderment as
| to why he had been assigned place in the
order of exercises. He had never published
anything except the "Glad- Tidings.' and that
was by word of mouth after the regular, orig
inal, apostolic plan. He could not claim the
honor. like so many of his brethren who had
spoken, of being an executor. He seemed only
useful as a kind of vanishing caude extremity
to that long. heroic procession which had been
so eloquently described by the previous
speaker.
There was. however, one role that he thought
he might appropriately play, viz; that of the
regular chronic "bore" in the room editorial.
The Publishing House furnished agreeable
Monday morning headquarters for the sur
rounding clergy, and among the rest. the
speaker generally added his oppressive pres
ence in the editors inner sanctuary, just
when that worthy was busiest with scissors
and paste-pot in getting up some of his bright
est original articles Like the chap from the
country his first visit to the city, the rever-
end clergy like to get peep into the editorial
"rinktum," and often find it, as that sagacious
individual expressed himself, "a good cal like
our old garnet, only good deal wuss." Our
editor however, is exceedingly wise in his day
and generation. Nothing pleases him better
than to have two of the clerical rethren like
the animals of the ark, invade his sanctum at
one time, for he can then set the two to enter
tanning each other while the thoughts of the
mighty editorial brain ION awful subjects
rol.''
The speaker thought it time some recogni-
ton was made of that mass of denominational
literature, which had accumulated in quar-
ter of century known as 1.-The rejected man
uscripts." Amid all the rejoicing on the ocea-
sion there must be many sore hearts among
the clergy and the laity over those precious
contributions that have found their way into
the waste-basket or up the chimney, turning
appropriately into smoke and gas. He saw the
other day where such a contributor had re-
tanned a copy, and after twenty years had paid
a visit to the very editor who had crushed his
early literary ambitions. He told the editor
how twenty years before he had put him-the
editor--down as COMPOUNDED idiot for his
despotic rejection of his article, but, said hep
have just read the incipient effusion over
again and have come to say that IF looked
as green twenty years ago as that poem
proves me to have been, want to thank you
because you didn't cut me up and feed me to
the COWS. 1.-THE editor drew long chalk mark
under the table, and whstled over the first
case in his experience of mans coming to
know that he was not natural-born creator
of literature and self-equipped runner of
publishing houses aud newspapers Editors,
are an instance of the law of selection"
The speaker hoped that the tributes paid
to the press and the establishment would not
turn the head of the versatile manager, and
as the sable son of Ham said, of the editorial
corpse" We shall have to say to them as
Backslide Johnsing, being nearsighted, said
when he mstook the weathercock for fugi-
tive from the chicken roost-"Yer needn't
roost so high, chicken; 1 amt goin' to touch
yer Pse.reformed." But the Publishing
House has certainly earned its right of exulta-
ton over the successes of twenty-five years;
and we all delight to do it honor.
The speaker proceeded to state his grounds
of appreciation of the press, as the right hand
of the pulpit. Gladstone, although himself
mighty hero of the living voice. has placed
the press as public educator above the pub
lie school. ard as moral force second only to
the preached word. Reference was made to
the power of the printed page in the worlds
great crisis, such as the Protestant Reforma-
ton, in important periods in English history.
as in the influence of the letters of Junius,
and in the pamphlets and periodicals of our
Revolutionary war, and the later period of the
formation of the Constitution. Paine's "Com-
mon Sense" has been called, perhaps with
some exaggeration, as essential to American
Independence as the sword of Washington,
and the "Federalist" played an important
work in the consolidation of the new govern
ment.
In conclusion our denominational books and
periodicals were heartily commended for their
good work among the people, and the Pub
fishing House recognized as an institutional
bond to the clergy and the churches, and a
great center to draw the loyalty and the bene-
factions of Universalists throughout the coun-
try.
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT CAPEN.
The last speaker of the evening was
representative of the great interest
Education. Dr. Miner made mention
of the close connection between the
Press and the College, and called upon
Rev. DIR. E. H. CAPEN, President of
Tufts College. In substance he said:
I cannot think of any event in the history of
our church more worthy of celebrating than
the founding of Publishing House like our
own. We are of course grateful for all those
SIndller INSTITUTIONS winch preceueu 1t ana leo
up to it. They all served their day and Pener-
alton faithfully. What may be accomplished
by this larger, more permanent and wider
reaching corporation we cannot begin to con-
ceive. Mr.. Barnum recently said to me that
no fundamentally could be so fruitful for
good in our denomination, as the printed
word. He declared that his own great success
in business had been largely due to the print
ing press, and he believed the same to be true
of every enterprise. This Publishing House
has already accomplished far more than the
most sangnine of its projectors and founders
imagined.
As President of our Oldest College, can fit
tingly say that the relation between the Col
lege and the Publishing House is very init
mate and vital. The College logically and his
torically precedes the press, in the majority of
cases. But in this case, the order is reversed;
the press precedes the college. In fact, l cam
not well see how we should ever have had
college had it not been for our Publishing
House. A large part of the funds and the pat
ronage came through the agency of the press.
The revival of learning in Europe made the
invention of the printing press necessity.
The exigencies of advancing civilization de-
manded it, and it came, and has largely con-
quered. DIR. Sawyer said at the General Con-
vention last week, that our educational insti-
tutions need ADDED facilities for their work.
We need a higher order of scholarship, and
larger numbers entering our schools. But
how shall we reach the ear of the people con-
corning these things, and enlist their cooper